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Note 6 - Investment in and Transactions With Equity Investees | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2022
Notes to Financial Statements |
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures Disclosure [Text Block] | NOTE 6 – INVESTMENT IN AND TRANSACTIONS WITH EQUITY INVESTEES Milestone China Ltd. Ownership In June 2014, Milestone Scientific invested $1 million in Milestone China Ltd. (“Milestone China”), by contributing dental instruments to Milestone China for a 40% ownership interest. Milestone China owns approximately 75% of Milestone Beijing Medical Equipment Company, Ltd (“Milestone Beijing”). At the time, Milestone Beijing had primary responsibility for the sales, marketing, and distribution of the Company’s dental products in China. Milestone Scientific recorded its investment in Milestone China under the equity method of accounting. In first quarter of 2020, Milestone China and certain manufacturing/marketing affiliates entered into a reorganization agreement (the “Transaction”) pursuant to which Milestone China was to merge into an affiliated manufacturing company, Anhui Maishida Medical Technology, Co. Ltd. (“Anhui”), with Anhui as the surviving entity and to have complete responsibility for sales, marketing, and distribution for the Company’s dental products in China. After completion of the Transaction, Milestone Scientific was expected to have an approximate 28.4% direct ownership in Anhui. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regulatory approval of the planned Transaction was delayed while applicable government offices were closed in China and Hong Kong. Until the completion of the transaction Milestone Scientific's 28.4% in Anhui was held by Milestone China. On November 23, 2021, management of Milestone Scientific became aware that on October 8, 2021, without approval from Milestone Scientific, (i) Milestone China entered into an Equity Transfer Agreement whereby Milestone China’s 28.4% equity stake in Anhui was transferred to Lidong Zhang, the CEO of Milestone China and Anhui, in exchange for RMB 2,840 million (approximately $440,351) of which no amounts have been or are expected to be received, see below, and (ii) Anhui held a shareholders’ meeting at which the Equity Transfer Agreement was approved by the shareholders of Anhui, eliminating Milestone China’s equity interest in Anhui and Milestone Scientific’s indirect equity interest in Anhui. Based on a review of the minutes of the Anhui shareholders’ meeting, Milestone China was not listed as a shareholder in such meeting due to the executed Equity Transfer Agreement between Lidong Zhang and Milestone China. Though management believes that this conveyance by Milestone China to LiDong Zhang is outside of the laws of Hong Kong and/or China, as may be applicable, at this juncture Milestone Scientific has no ownership in Anhui and Milestone China has no assets or operations. After considering taking action to assert our rights in the matter, and based on the acknowledgement that such course of action is not without its procedural and substantive challenges in Hong Kong and/or China and, importantly, in view of Michelle Zhang dba Solee Science & Technology USA (“Solee”) (see below), a company located in New Jersey, who became the independent distributor, former agent, for Milestone China and its subsidiaries, and due to the good working relationship developing between Milestone Scientific and Solee and reduction of Milestone Scientific’s credit exposure to a Chinese entity, management is not pursuing any legal action at this time to recover our equity interest. Given the significant deterioration of the economy in China, caused by in large part the actions of the Chinese central government in dealing with COVID-19, the crash of the real estate market and the moves against independent companies, the Company does not believe it is prudent at this time to continue to pursue its investigation of any options it may have regarding its Chinese distributor, and therefore, in order to preserve cash the Company is for the time being suspending its investigation. However, management has determined to pursue an investigation of whether the above-described consideration payable by LiDong Zhang to Milestone China was actually paid to Milestone China and, if so, its recovery. Nevertheless, at this time, Milestone Scientific has not received any consideration, does not know if any of such consideration promised to Milestone China for its interest in Anhui has been paid and, if paid, whether it can recover its share of such consideration. As a result, at this time, Milestone Scientific has not received any consideration and does not know if any of the consideration promised to Milestone China for its interest in Anhui has been paid and, if paid, unless circumstances change, Milestone Scientific does not expect it will receive any of the consideration received by Milestone China for its assets without pursuing legal action. As a result, Milestone Scientific has not recorded a gain or receivable related to the transfer of Anhui. As of June 30, 2022, and December 31, 2021 the investment in Milestone China was zero. Related Party Transactions Milestone China Distribution Agreement Milestone China had been Milestone Scientific’s exclusive distributor in China. During 2017 and prior to the payment default during 2018, Milestone Scientific agreed to sell inventory to Milestone China and its agent. During 2018, Milestone Scientific entered into a payment arrangement with Milestone China to satisfy past due receivables from Milestone China and its agents which amounted to $2.8 million at the time of the payment arrangement. Milestone Scientific collected $950,000 under this arrangement, until Milestone China defaulted on the payment arrangements. For the three months ended June 30, 2022, Milestone Scientific shipped no instruments or handpieces to Solee. For the six months ended June 30, 2022, Milestone Scientific shipped handpieces to Solee for sale to Anhui and recognized revenue of approximately $370,000. At June 30, 2022, approximately $270,000 was included in account receivable related party. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, Milestone Scientific shipped instruments and handpieces to Solee for the sale to Anhui and recognized revenue of $525,000, and $1.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has approximately $89,000 of deposits from Solee for future shipment of goods included in accrued expenses on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had no deposits from Solee for future shipment of goods included in accrued expenses on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. Beginning in mid- November 2021, Milestone Scientific entered into discussions with Michelle Zhang dba Solee Science & Technology USA (“Solee”), a company located in New Jersey, to become Milestone Scientific’s independent distributor for China, the former agent, for Milestone China and its subsidiaries. On November 22, 2021, Wand Dental, Inc., a United States subsidiary of Milestone Scientific, entered into a Buy and Sell Agreement with Solee, pursuant to which Milestone Scientific granted Solee the right to sell Milestone Scientific’s STA instruments, associated handpieces, and spare parts in China to Anhui. As of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, there have been no shipment under the new agreement to Solee. Gross Profit Deferral Due to timing differences of when the inventory sold to Milestone China, Anhui or their agent is recognized and when Milestone China and Anhui sells the acquired inventory to third parties, an elimination of the recorded profit is required as of the balance sheet date. In accordance with ASC 323 Investment Equity Method and Joint Ventures, Milestone Scientific has deferred its ownership percentage of the gross profit associated with recognized revenue from sales to Milestone China, Solee as an agent, and Anhui until that product is sold to third parties. At June 30, 2022, and December 31, 2021 the Company had no deferred profit in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, Milestone Scientific did not record any loss on equity investment in relation to gross profit on product sold to Milestone China, Anhui, and Solee. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, Milestone Scientific recorded loss on equity investment of approximately $95,000 and $94,000 respectively in relation to gross profit previously deferred on product sold to Milestone China, Anhui, and Solee recorded as deferred profit and divesture-equity investment on the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for equity method investments and joint ventures. Equity method investments are investments that give the investor the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of an investee. Joint ventures are entities owned and operated by a small group of businesses as a separate and specific business or project for the mutual benefit of the members of the group. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -URI https://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2196965 + Details
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